Gardner's Sonata
by pepoluan
Summary: Why is Gardner so proud of Cerberus? Here is his story to Shepard. COMPLETED. Rated 'T' for implied situations.
1. Grave — Doppio Movimento

**A/N: This story explains what Gardner and Shepard talked about in Chapter 8 of my other story "_Explanations and Excuses_". You *don't* have to read that chapter to read this, but if you do, then you make me very happy.**

**More A/N after the story. Please read. And review, of course! :)**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect, the Mass Effect universe, and all characters within, all belong to BioWare.**

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**Gardner's Sonata  
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**I. Grave - Doppio Movimento  
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Shepard was sitting there in the mess hall, wondering what Gardner would tell him, when the Mess Sergeant arrived with a tray carrying 2 mugs of coffee and a small plate of cookies.

"Here ya go, c'mander," Gardner said as he placed the tray on the table and deftly placed the steaming mug in front of Shepard. "Navy-spec coffee. Just as you like it."

Smiling, Shepard picked up his mug and inhaled the aroma. He took a sip, and took his time savoring the unique flavor of his coffee. _Sometimes traditional is always the best._

"Sample the cookies, too, c'mander. Homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh from the oven. And I guarantee you these ones *do* taste like genuine human chocolate chip cookies."

Shepard laughed. "I'll take your word for that. I'm still enjoying my coffee... but don't worry, I'm sure the plate would be emptying as we talk. I might even ask for a second helping," he said, winking.

The Mess Sergeant laughed back and joked, "This plate is on the house; the next plate I'll have to charge."

Shepard shook his head, grinning. "Just put it on my tab."

Both men fell silent for several seconds as they savor their respective mugs of steaming coffe. Shepard was the one who broke the silence, "Now, what about that story you promised me?"

Gardner sighed. "Can't distract you from a mission, eh c'mander?" he asked, smiling. "Alright, here's my story on why I joined Cerberus..."

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I was in paradise. Except that I still had to work. But I guess I was blessed because I love my job. I got income enough for living, saving, and raising a family.

Raising a family. Many colonists were forced to leave loved ones behind. Not me. I got a stroke of luck; an aunt I had long-forgotten passed away, and somehow I found myself inheriting a sizable amount of cash. Enough to buy my sweetheart a ticket to Gei Hinnom. So I guess I am doubly-blessed.

Our life resembled something out of a fairy tale: the young prince carries away his bride to a faraway land and live happily ever after. Except that I was no prince. But the happily ever after part was very real. Of course as a wedded couple we had our fair share of arguments and bickering, but our love for each other transcends those petty stuffs.

Just as I thought our lives couldn't be better, it got better. Nary a year had passed on the colony, when one day as I returned to our home, my very happy sweetheart greeted me by showing me a piece of paper with two stripes on it. We were ecstatic. Nine months after, our baby girl came crying out into the world.

It was pure bliss. I got promoted to supervisor at my work, my wife got a pay raise, and our kid is growing up to be a healthy young lady. We had been saving enough to ensure her a good education, and even some.

Until that fateful day came.

I was busy at my rig when all of a sudden, the PA system started blaring sirens and alarms and raising hell. "The batarians are attacking! All colonists proceed immediately to the nearest bunker! This is not a drill! Repeat, the batarians are attacking! All colonists proceed immediately to the nearest bunker!"

I was surprised. Shocked, indeed. Never had I expected our puny colony to be a target for the batarian raiders. My colleagues and I ran as fast as we could to the nearest bunker, and entered quuickly. I went to the nearest terminal to find out which bunker my family went into. Suddenly fear and panic gripped my heart when terminal replied '_the persons you're searching for are not found._'

"Giselle! Joanna!" I cried out. Suddenly I remembered that my wife took the day off to care for our daughter who caught the 'flu. I turned around and tried to fought my way against the torrent of panicked colonist entering the bunker. I made good progress. Until I reached the gate.

"Where do you think you're going, sir! Get back into the bunker!" an alliance soldier guarding the entrance yelled at me.

"My wife and my daughter are still out there! I gotta find them!"

"It's not safe! Battle is raging out there! Get back into the bunker!"

"No! I need to see them!" I yelled, fighting him, trying to shove my way around him. But he defended his position well, his assault rifle an affective barricade against my attempt.

"Let the Alliance find them! Now get back inside! We're sealing this bunker!"

"I want -" my words was cut short as someone - perhaps another soldier - hit my head with some blunt object.

I fell to the ground, dizzy, with fireflies clouding my vision. I felt a couple of guys lifting me by my arms and dragged me inside. I heard the blast doors slamming shut. I managed to weakly utter the names of my loved ones, "Giselle... Joanna..." Then everything went black.

I woke up with a head-splitting headache, my pal Gunnar Knudsson hovering above me with concern clearly etched on his face. "Rupert? Thank God... we thought you went into a coma or something... that soldier had hit you really hard..."

I felt a mattress underneath my back. Not wanting to claim space for those injured, I forced myself to sit. I looked around, and there around me were my buddies from the rig. Jackie, Sal, Martti, Paul, the new guy Moshe, Tricia, Hal. And my boss Jake. "Thanks, guys. No rifle-butt can keep mighty Rupert down for long. Unless we're talkin' 'bout the other end of a rifle," I tried to joke.

I saw my friends' faces relaxing. "That's Rupert, alright," Tricia piped up, smiling. She was the only gal in my team, but heck if she wasn't working as hard as a guy. Two guys, in fact. And she had managed to knock Gunnar out cold with one punch when he had gotten a wee bit too friendly with her. Oh, they had apologized to each other, made up, and later on tied the knot. Just in case you're wondering.

But seeing this husband-wife pair sent a pang into my heart. "Giselle? Joanna?"

My heart began racing when I saw Gunnar and Tricia looked at each other with worried face. I heard Jake coughing, so I turned to face him.

"Rupert, I'm ... sorry. Giselle and Joanna was... nowhere to be found. Their names were not in any bunker manifest we've searched..."

I guess I lost consciousness again, because the next thing I remembered, I was lying on a military field-bed within the confines of a bivouac. My friends are nowhere to be seen save for Tricia.

"Where am I?"

"You're in a military field hospital. The others are out there assisting the Alliance in searching for survivors or... victims."

I inhaled deeply, preparing myself mentally for the answer to my next question.

"And Giselle and Joanna?"

Tricia bowed her head down, then looked away, not wanting to look into my eyes.

"I am sorry, Rupert. They... did not make it.

"The Alliance found their bodies in your house. Or what was left of it. They died when a high-explosive blast took out the housing compound, apparently from trauma injuries they suffered when your house collapsed."

I did not spoke for several seconds. Then I started to cry. I bawled my heart out, until I have no more strength to cry, and fell asleep with a whimper.

The following days were a blur in my memory. I guess I was still in a state of severe shock and grieving. In one day, one single fateful day, I have lost everything. I lost my home, and I lost my family. The beautiful dream had evilly turned into a living nightmare.

For those of who lost our houses, they gave us temporary housing while they rebuilt ours. But I don't want to go back to my house. It was no longer a home for me. No longer will I hear the happy laughter of my wife and daughter as I entered its door. No longer will I feel the warmth of Giselle's embrace as we sat on the couch, her head resting on my shoulder, Joanna sitting on my lap, watching our favorite movie.

I pour myself into my job. Futilely trying to numb my sorrow. But truth be told, I no longer have the heart to do it. One day, during lunch break, Jake took me aside.

I had known Jake the first day I came to work. He was my supervisor, then. Despite him being my boss, he's one of the first pal I made on the rig. He's more like an older brother I never had than a boss for me. So it is no wonder how transparent I am to him.

We sat down in the mess hall, on one of the corner tables. "Rupert, I can only begin to imagine your grief, having no family of my own," he said kindly.

"Sometimes I'm envious of your single status, you know, what with the freedom to 'sample' those 'women of accommodating morals'," I quipped, trying to lighten up the mood.

Jake chuckled. "And I envy you, with your solid foundation, someone to always go home to... uh, sorry to bring that up," he quickly apologized as he saw the pang of pain in my eyes. "But unfortunately, that's what I wanted to talk with you about, Rope."

"No need to apologize, Jake," I calmed him down. "What happened, happened already."

Jake nodded, and then continued, "Look, Rope," again he used his affectionate nickname for me, "you've been so... unhinged lately. I know that you've been trying to numb the pain, but your temperament is... unsettling for many."

He was right. I had been short-tempered with my workers, even almost to the point of giving some young tyke a lesson with a 2-inch steel pipe on his head.

"I'm sorry. I... I guess I'm still..." I shut off my mouth, trying hard to control my emotions, which threatened to pour forth in the form of uncontrollable sobbing.

Jake tapped my shoulder, gently, but firmly. "I understand, Rope. I fought your defense with the higher-ups. But they wanted guarantee that those outbursts will not happen again. So," he paused, smiling as he handed me an envelope, "I said to them that you need time to grieve. Paid vacation. Easy to ask since all these years never *once* did you use any of your allotted company-paid vacation."

I took the envelope, a bit unsure.

"You're like a younger brother to me, Rope," Jake said. "Just take it. It's an all-expenses paid vacation to Demeter. With some allowance. Go away for awhile, surround yourself with new situations. Let the pain subside. Then come back here and teach those whiny tykes a lesson how we mature eezo miners do stuffs around here."

As Jake started to stand up, he added, "Your vacation begins tomorrow, and no need to come back here for two weeks. Hell, if I see you here before two weeks, I'm going to tie you up in my basement until your vacation is over," he jokingly threatened.

"I thought you prefer females for that, Jake," I managed to shot a comeback. "Don't worry. You won't see me for two weeks. Thanks for your effort. I really appreciate it."

Jake laughed when he heard my comeback. He just nodded at my gratitude, then started to leave for his office. As he passed by my side, he leaned over and whispered, "There's an Alliance recruitment facility at Demeter. Use your time wisely."

Later that day, I asked Gunnar if he could take my place for the rest of the day. Smiling, he tapped my upper arm and concurred, "Heard about your paid-vac from Jake already. He told me in no uncertain terms that I am supposed to fill your shoes while you're gone, starting this afternoon. Go ahead, pal."

I am so blessed with great pals.

Early the next day found me boarding a shuttle to the main space base of the planet, where I am to board a liner to Demeter. I had packed all my clothes in a duffel bag, along with amenities. The shuttle ride was uneventful, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find out that I was assigned a 1st-class cabin on the liner. Jake *really* pulled some strings back there. As I settled on the bed in my cabin, fatigue overcame me and I slept.

It was a nice couple of days cruise to Demeter. I had just gone back from swimming on the ship's pool when the ship's comm blared out, "We are approaching Demeter. Landfall in 2 hours. Please prepare to disembark, and do not forget your belongings. We thank you for travelling on Stellara Liner."

Several hours later found me standing on the lobby of my hotel. They gave me a nice room, not the best, but mighty comfortable. With a big king-size bed. And a big bath tub. I had checked in, stashed my duffel bag in the closet, and returned to the lobby. It was nightfall already, but I want to taste some of the local cuisine. I was about to ask the concierge for a recommendation, when my eyes caught sight of them.

A pair of young male Alliance officers just entered the lobby. Lieutenants perhaps. They had been chatting with another pair of tipsy-looking girls, who couldn't be older than twenty. They sat the girls on one of the sofas in the lobby, and approached the reservation desk. I couldn't help but caught their banter.

"Nice picking tonight, eh?"

"True blue, Eric. Your betting against them for trying to outdrink us paid really well."

"Yeah. Ryncol versus brandy? They threw themselves into our arms."

"Hahaha! Indeed! But aren't they too drunk to entertain us for the night?"

"That's why I brought some stimulants. And just in case the stimulants totally eliminated the drowsy effect, I also brought some handcuffs."

I cringed my face in disgust, and rushed out the hotel.

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~~ **_to be continued_** ~~

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**A/N:** There. The story of Gardner, the first chapter. I had planned on doing a one-shot, but the story just kept growing and growing in my head until to days later it had reached the epic size of several thousands of words. So, I decided to make it span 2 or 3 chapters, at most.

You know, we all kinda understand the stories of the main characters of Mass Effect. But so little do we know about the backstory of the other minor characters. This is just an admittedly minor attempt to rectify that unfairness.

If you follow my other story "Explanations and Excuses", don't worry: expect another chapter in 2-3 days ;)

Well, that's it for now. Please leave me a review; I'm dying to know what you think of this story :)

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_Edit #1: Change chapter title._

Grave - Doppio movimento


	2. Scherzo

**A/N: More slandering of the Alliance; Alliance-lovers need not read ;)**

**Anyways, please please please leave a review. Praises _*and*_ criticisms are welcome.**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect, the Mass Effect universe, and all characters within, all belong to BioWare.**

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**Gardner's Sonata  
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**II. Scherzo**

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At this point, Shepard interrupted politely. "Ah, every society must have its bad apples," he said, while munching on his 3rd or 4th piece of chocolate chip cookie. "The Alliance is not immune to that."

Gardner nodded. "Indeed, c'mander. But things get worse from there."

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I woke up when the alarm rang like hell, yet feeling very tired. Not because of the time difference — I have compensated for that — but because of the nightmares I've been having all night.

Drunkenly I stumbled into the bathroom, pausing only slightly to turn on the holoscreen and set it at its loudest. A cold shower cleared up my mind, and just as I was stepping out of the bathroom while toweling myself dry, I heard the ad for the Alliance recruitment drive. I ran to the holo and made a note of the recruitment center.

After having some breakfast — very nice, tasty, and filling, by the way — I left the hotel for the recruitment center. The doorman said that it's just a couple of blocks away, so I decided to take a stroll there.

Nothing fancy happened during my walk — except for that one time when I and my fellow pedestrians nearly got ourselves rammed down by a speeding Alliance ground transport. We had started to cross the street when the pedestrian light flashed green, and there came this 6-wheeled vehicle barreling toward us at high speed. We managed to jump to safety, though some lost their balance and fell to the pavement. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. But what really irked me was when someone in that vehicle managed to insult us through an open window before they speed away, "Stay out of the way, meatbags!"

I was having a hard time controlling my fury. But some deep breaths managed to calm me down, so I continued trekking to the recruitment center.

The center was a low slung building, maybe only 4 or 5 storeys high. I entered through the main door into the recruitment area. There was a line already forming. It's not too long, maybe just ten or twenty deep, but I had to wait for almost an hour before finally getting to talk with a recruitment officer. The delay was, ironically, caused by his being late. Well, he was not late, actually; I had seen him flirting with a pretty young cadet when I entered the building, but for some reasons he did not take his post until we all started to grumble.

Needless to say, my mood, which hasn't been well to start with, soured really seriously.

Finally they called my name and I entered that interview room.

"Mr. Rupert Gardner?"

"Yeah, that'll be me."

"You look old. How old are you?"

When I stated my age, the officer looked at me incredulously. "You're that old? And you still want to join the Alliance? No kidding?" he asked in a condescending way.

"Yeah. Why?" I asked, my dislike of this guy starting to well up inside me.

"Well, Mr. Gardner, the Alliance are mainly interested in young people. Between 25 and 35. Unless you have something of great value to us. What extraordinary skills do you have?"

"I am a miner. I'm well-versed in operatin' heavy machinery and heavy explosives."

That officer clucked his tongue. "Miner, eh? Don't see how that skill is valuable to us."

_Why, you little tyke!_ I had thought. I was just going to give him a piece of my mind when he continued, "Any other skills? Flying a space vessel? Weapon wielding? Electronics?"

The nearest I ever got to being skillful at electronics would be when the holoscreen in my house went on the fritz and I had to bang at it several times with my hands. "Electrics yes, electronics a bit. But I can cook, and I can do handyman repair stuffs."

"Cooking, eh? And handyman? Naah, we outsource them. Well, I guess there's no use of you. Your application is rejected."

My anger erupted. "Now see here! My wife and kid were killed when batarian raiders attacked my colony at Gei Hinnom! I want to get back at 'em! Surely there is some way —"

"Ah, the attack at Gei Hinnom. Yes, it was the talks lately. Some backwater colony got raided, and some collateral damage was accrued. Not really my concern. Please leave, Mr. Gardner."

I don't really recall what happened. I vaguely remembered losing my cool and jumped at the tyke, grabbing him by his collar, and that got me thrown out to the pavement by the guards.

So there I was standing on the streets of Demeter, still trying to calm myself, not knowing what next to do, when someone called me with a friendly voice.

"Rupert? My God, Rupert? Is that you?"

I turned around to look at who is calling me, and I saw an Alliance officer looking at me, smiling wide.

"Yeah, who are you?"

To my surprise, that guy ran towards me and bearhugged me.

"Rupert! It's Thomas! Thomas DeMarco! Remember me? My God, how time has passed!"

"Tom!" suddenly I remembered. Tom was one of my pals back in highschool. We split ways when he entered college. I didn't recognize him because he was so clean-shaven. Back in highschool, he had a long hair he tied in a ponytail that even girls would get extremely jealous of. And since he's 190cm tall (6'4" in the creaking antiquated system some Earth-dwellers still use) and very well-built, no jock in his right mind dare make fun of his hair.

But here he was, clean-shaven with a crew cut. And wearing an Alliance officer's cap.

"Yeah, it's been quite some time. Didn't recognize you with that hairstyle, or lack of it," I half-apologized in jest.

Tom laughed his trademark booming laugh. "We need to get together, remembering old times. You busy this evening?"

"Can't say I'm taken. I'm on a free-schedule vacation. What time?"

"Say, 1800 hours? Where do you stay, by the way?"

"Oh nearby. Novotel. Not far from here."

"Great! There's a nice diving hole near your hotel called The Tashkent Bar. Meet me there, 'kay?"

"Will do Tom. Great to see you again," I replied with a sincere smile. Apparently, there are non-jackasses in the Alliance after all.

"Alright, it's a date then," he said, winking. "See you later then, bro! I gotta have a meeting with some higher-ups here."

"Okay, don't let me stop you. Surely don't want 'em make you do 100 push-ups because you're late."

With a wave, he entered the building I had just gotten thrown out of.

Time passed by so slowly. To vent the pent-up frustration I just had, I decided to kill time by doing some work out. My hotel had a nice, fully-stocked gym, and Olympic-sized swimming pool, to boot. So, I did some treadmills, weight lifting, and sandbag punching. It's a real good way to relieve stress, you know, punching the sandbag while imagining it to be those young tykes of the Alliance.

Well, I won't bore you with the details on how I spent the rest of the afternoon. So let me jump directly to the Tashkent Bar.

When I entered the Tashkent at exactly 1800 hours — punctuality has always been my forte — I saw Tom already sitting there in the corner booth. He's already out of his Alliance uniform. He waved at me when I noticed him. I seated myself across him, and ordered an ice-cold mug of beer. They had Heineken, by the way. Amazing.

"So, I guess life's been good to you," I opened up. "What are you now? An admiral?"

Tom laughed. "How I wished, Rupert. I'm still a captain. The competition to become a commodore is intense, and I don't really like office politics."

It's my turn to laugh. "Yeah, I remembered how you punched your competitor for student board's president and landed us in the principal's office."

"That's because I was defending *you*, you bastard! He's been insulting you, and honor is at stake," he replied with a faux pride chest-puffing posture.

We laughed and spend maybe the next half-hour just being nostalgic of our time in highschool.

As the laughter died down, we became more serious.

"So, what brought you here, Rupert? Last I know, you were with Eldfell-Ashland digging up some eezo out there?"

So I told him my story. How I moved to Gei Hinnom with my wife, raised a family... and the batarian raider attack. I started to cry when I recounted what happened on that faithful day.

Tom shifted to my side and gave me a brotherly hug. "I am very sorry to hear that," he sympathized sincerely. "So, you coming to the rec center to get back at 'em?"

I just nodded my head, still trying to control my sobs.

"Alright. I happen to know some higher-ups in the ops. I'll see what I can do. I'll tell you in a couple of days. In the meantime, let's just drown our sorrows."

We spent the rest of the night getting ourselves buzzed on Serrice Ice Brandy (Tom's treating). Needless to say, I can't remember what happened, except some vague memories of people carrying me to my room using a forklift or something.

I woke up *very* late the next day, with a head-splitting headache. Checking my company-issued omni-tool, I noticed a message from Tom. He said that I was in good luck, he was going to talk with the ops guy this afternoon. And he wished me recover quickly from my hangover.

That sonofabitch. I really must learn his secret for overcoming a Serrice Ice Brandy-induced hangover.

I spent maybe an hour putting my head under cold water to regain proper use of my senses. When I've sufficiently recovered, I noticed it's almost time for lunch, so I skedaddled into the town for lunch.

I was really yearning for a nice, juicy, medium-rare steak made from genuine earth cow. I had barely settled my butt on the restaurant chair when in came this bunch of rambunctious Alliance officers. Lieutenant Commander or higher, I guess. I never could memorize all those insignias. Anyways, they have an aide. What happened next really made my blood boil.

"The Alliance requires the use of this restaurant for an important meeting. All visitors must leave, immediately!" barked the aide poodle.

I heard murmurs around me, people complaining under their breath but not wanting to 'raise the wrath of the almighty alliance'.

Well, being the field-forged miner that I am, I did not budge an inch. I am *dying* for my steak, and goddammit I am going to *have* my steak.

Apparently those Alliance brasses did not find my hunger for steak all that important. So, the poodle approached me and said, "Sir, you must leave this restaurant."

"I am a paying customer here, and I have the right for a steak, goddammit!"

"If you don't move your sorry butt, I'll remove you by force!"

"You and what army?" I challenged him.

Big mistake. He said, "As you wish," and gestured outside. I had not paying attention, but apparently that poodle had gotten backups out there. Within seconds, some military goons grabbed my arms, dragged me outside, and beat me to hell with their boots and rifle-butts.

"Enough! Let's just ignore that meatbag," I heard one of them brasses giving orders to those goons. Laughing, they left me there lying bloodied on the sidewalk.

I had considered getting back at 'em, but decided against it. Even though I can hold myself in bar brawls, when you're talking about rifles... hell, I value my life more.

A good Samaritan helped me up and accompany me to a nearby hospital, where I got treated for cuts and bruises. But they insisted, I gotta spend that night at the hospital for observation.

The next day, I got discharged after the doctors are satisfied that I got nothing more serious than a bruised ego. I returned to my hotel in some pain. Thankfully the doctors had provided me with some painkillers, and apparently all my hospital expenses was covered. I was pleasantly surprised; I never thought my company's health insurance extended to Demeter, but one shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

I had decided to spend the rest of the day just recuperating in my room when my omni-tool beeped. Tom sent me an email, asking if I can meet him tonight at the same place, same time. I replied that I surely can. Then I took a nap.

Later that evening, again I entered the Tashkent at 1800 sharp. I immediately saw my pal, but the frown on his face was a bad omen, indeed. Without words, I slipped into the chair across him.

"Bad day at the office?" I asked.

He took a glance at me and was surprised. "God, Rupert! What happened? You look like shit. Don't tell me you're here just a couple of days and already brawled your way around?"

"Just had some run-ins with arrogant little tykes of the Alliance, is all."

"I see," he replied, before going back to gazing into his mug of beer. "There are bad apples, and there are rotten apples. And the Alliance has no shortage of them," he continued bitterly.

"Hey, don't bad mouth your employer," I tried to jest.

Tom humphed. "If only you knew..."

The pause that followed was mighty uncomfortable, so I piped up, "Alright, so what's up, Tom?"

Tom sighed, and avoided my eyes. "I had talked to the ops guy. You're not gonna like this, Rupert."

It was my turn to sigh. "Try me. Shoot."

Tom played with his mug for several seconds before saying, "The Alliance never thought your colony deserves high priority. So they've pushed your incident way down the list, with the note _'to be investigated when resources are idle_.' I am sorry, Rupert. There's nothing I can do."

I took a deep breath. I *really* wanted to lash out, but then again, it's not Tom's fault. "I understand. Thanks for trying to help."

"I'm sorry again pal."

I left the Tashkent feeling very depressed.

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**A/N: **Heavy, huh? Only one chapter left. At most, two. But most likely, one.

Again, please leave a review. Don't be afraid to criticize me, if you want. I don't bite :)

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_Edit #01: Change chapter title._


	3. Marche Funèbre — Lento

**A/N: And now we see the contrast of Cerberus against the alliance. Yay! :D**

**I've renamed the chapter to the musical 'movements' of a certain famous Sonata. You like it? Tell me what you think in your review, please :)**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect, the Mass Effect universe, and the characters within, all belong to BioWare.**

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**Gardner's Sonata  
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**III. Marche Funèbre: Lento**

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"Okay, so you've become very disappointed at the Alliance. I still see no reason to join Cerberus," Shepard said.

"Who else should I turn to? The almighty Citadel Council? Those chickenshit will just bury their head in the sand when it comes to the batarians. Remember when humans started claiming systems in the Skyllian Verge? The Council just sat there on their collective butts, not wanting to anger the batarians! Hah!" Gardner interjected, contempt dripping from his voice.

"Okay,okay, I got your point. But why Cerberus, exactly? What exactly drew your attention to them?"

"Ah, good question, c'mander," Gardner said, his finger wagging at Shepard. "That brings us to the last part of my story..."

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I did not return directly to my hotel that night. Still feeling depressed, I seeked another bar to drown my depression in.

I remembered ordering a bottle of Jack Daniels, and downing at least half of it. The rest of the night was a blur to me. I vaguely remembered walking up to some Alliance grunts. Due to my inebriated state, I might have acted foolishly, like shooting some blunt insults against them.

Everything went black real quickly.

I woke up again in a bright room. Too bright for me to open my eyes. I tried to sit up, but suddenly pain racked my whole body. I tried to move just my left arm, when I realized it was encased in something hard. I heard a girl shouting.

"Sir, Mr. Gardner is waking up, sir!"

I heard the running footsteps of someone. Slowly I try to open my eyes, only to realize that my left eye is swollen shut. With the only good eye, I managed to see around me.

I was in a room. Most likely a hospital room, judging from the monitors and the fact that there's a cute little gal in nurse uniform watching over me. But what really surprised me was the man standing near the foot of the bed.

"Hi, Mr. Gardner. I hope you're feeling well. Gee, it's the second time we meet in the hospital. If I hadn't known better, I'll say you're a hypochondriac," he said with a friendly voice, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, you've been keeping me away from losing blood too much, I guess," I replied. "But who are you anyway? Why do I keep running into you?"

I had been really surprised because that man in the same good Samaritan that helped me the day before.

"Ah, sorry for my impoliteness. My name is Roger Tierney. You can call me Roj, Mr. Gardner."

"Nice to meet you, Roj. Call me Rupert, then. Or Rope."

Roj chuckled. "I prefer Mr. Gardner, if you don't mind. So, care to tell me why you keep fighting those Alliance personnel?"

I trieed to smirk, a difficult thing to do when your face is swollen here and there. "Those chickenshit... batarians took everything I have, and they just bury their heads in the sand. I wish I could do something to get back at those goddamn raiders."

Roj looked at me as if sizing me up. "You came from Gei Hinnom, am I right Mr. Gardner? You lost a family there."

I raised my right eyebrow. "How did you know? I don't recall telling that to you."

Roj just smiled enigmatically as he explained, "It's my job to know, Mr. Gardner. You have tried to join the Alliance, to avenge your family, but they turned you down. And your Alliance friend told you that the Alliance Ops never took your colony seriously. So you decided to get drunk and managed to agitate some Alliance soldiers. Am I right, Mr. Gardner?"

I just lie there with my mouth agape.

"Now, Mr. Gardner. Suppose I can offer you a chance to 'get back at em', will you be interested?"

"Hell, yeah! I'm gonna teach those bastards a lesson they will never forget."

Roj flashed that enigmatic smile again as he said, "That's the spirit, Mr. Gardner. I'll tell you what: for the next three days, focus on getting better. I'll come back then, and if you're healthy enough, I might just have something for you. Until then, Mr. Gardner."

Roj left leaving me a mystery. However, I shoved aside that mystery for the time being, wanting so bad to hunt those raiders down.

So for three days, I became the bane of the nurses and the doctor as I insisted on leaving my bed and walking around. I vaguely remembered that my vacation's drawing to an end. I really should prepare for my return trip to Gei Hinnom. But my desire for revenge is so great that even if I have to run the risk of being fired for not showing up at work as I'm supposed to be, then so be it.

True to his word, Roj visited me on the third day. "I've heard the report from the nurses and the doctors. You're doing mighty fine, Mr. Gardner. And I can see with my own eyes that you've recuperated really well."

"Let's cut to the chase, Roj. How 'bout this offer you had promised me?"

Roj whipped out a datapad from his bag. "Senior miner. Experienced with heavy machineries and high explosives. Handy with electrical, HVAC, and plumbing maintenance. Also cooks quite well. My, you're so skillful, Mr. Gardner. We surely can use your skills on one of our vessels. Even despite your lack of skills with firearms."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who's 'we'? The Alliance turned me down because I can't hold a gun shit. Why are you interested in those skills?"

The enigmatic man just slipped his datapad into his bag again without saying a word. Again, he observed me, as if trying to judge whether I am able to hear the truth.

"Let's just say that 'we' are an organization of action. And due to that, we have no luxury of outsourcing those stuffs. We have to pull our own weight on our vessels. I'll be blunt: If you join us, you won't be a soldier; you'll be in logistics. Maintaining the vessel's electricity, lighting, and even plumbing. You'll be doing the loading and unloading when the vessel is docked; your ability to operate heavy machineries will be very usable. And you'll also be the ship's cook. I'll say, with your abilities, my organization can cut down on the number of crews required. Of course you'll be doing the work of several crews at once, but you'll be rewarded proportionately. Still interested?"

"So, I got the menial job, hm?"

Roj smiles sympathetically. "Menial, yes. But not ignoble. What good is a soldier skilled with weapons, but malnourished because of bad food, or sick because of un-hygienic quarters? As they say in the military: Logistics does not a war won; but without logistics, a war cannot be won."

I chuckled. "So different from the Alliance, eh?"

Roj nodded. "Yes, we are. Thus, even though you may not share the direct glory of beating the batarians, you *will* have the satisfaction that you helped your fellow soldiers in scoring one against them. And of course, we will reward you handsomely for your participation. So, are you interested, Mr. Gardner?"

I mulled my answer for awhile. But I had already known my answer.

"Where do I sign up."

Roj smiled. This time, a relieved or happy smile; I couldn't tell which. "Come with me, Mr. Gardner, as we take care of your release."

Soon enough, I found myself riding in an air-car bearing the proud name of 'Cord-Hislop Aerospace', zooming through the air. We made a quick stopover at my hotel to gather my personal belongings. As I made my way to the front desk, Roj handed me a signed bill. "We have taken care of your expenses, as we had your first and second hospital visits. Come now, we must hurry."

As we zoom again toward the company's private spaceport, I asked, "Cord-Hislop now also have mercenary arm?" while hanging on for dear life. Roj surely knew how to ride like a hot-rod.

"Sort of, Mr. Gardner. You'll soon understand. Oops, we almost touched," he replied while we barely missed an air-truck.

I decided to keep my mouth shut for the rest of the journey, not wanting this daredevil pilot-driver to *actually* make any 'touch'.

Not long after, we settled at a parking lot just outside a spacedock.

"Go inside, meet Captain Rahardjo. He'll give you your uniform."

"Uniform? I haven't signed any contract —"

Roj cut my words mid-sentence, "No need. You'll understand. Sorry for the haste, but we have managed to track the batarian raider party that attacked Gin Hinnom. Time is of the essence; we *don't* want them to get away, do we?"

I nodded in agreement. "Thanks for... everything, Roj."

He again flashed a smile, this time a genuine happiness. "No need to thank me. Just do your job well, Mr. Gardner. Your service to our organization is thanks enough for me." He slipped into the air-car again, and lifted off while waving at me (and had another near-miss with an incoming air-car). I ran inside the dock.

"Ah. You must be Mr. Gardner," said a man holding a datapad, wearing some kind of uniform. The insignia looked like an orange diamond. I vaguely remembered seeing that sign somewhere, but decided to refresh my memory later. "I am Captain Rahardjo. Welcome aboard."

"Rupert Gardner, at your service, sir," I replied, trying my best to emulate a military salute.

The captain just laughed and said, "No need for formalities like that, my man. Now go inside, find Quartermaster Saavik, get your uniforms, and meet me at the mess hall. We'll undock in 15 minutes. Glad you make it in time."

I did what I was told to do. While wearing the uniforms — which, quite surprisingly enough, were tailored exactly to my size — I felt the ship undocking, and heard the rumble of thrusters pushing the ship up through Demeter's atmosphere.

I walked into the mess hall (a friendly crewmember had accompanied me there), to see what looks like all the crews gathered there. Captain Rahardjo was standing at what looked like a small stage. As he saw me, he sent me a greeting.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Mess Sergeant Gardner! He'll be our cook for this journey, and God knows what other tricks he has up his sleeve that'll make us all happy!"

The crew laughed and warmly welcomed me, some tapping my shoulder, some shaking my hand, and some both.

After all the pleasantries, we got down to business. The batarian raiders had been spotted at Hades Nexus, and we're going there to hit them real hard their grandchildren will feel pain in their butts. I shared the crew's euphoria, knowing my time of vengeance would be arriving soon.

After the briefings, all the crews went back to their posts, or to their quarters to rest for the next shift. The kind captain and his XO — a slightly younger man by the name of Commander MacLeod — gestured me to come with them. We ended up in the conf room, where the captain finally laid the cards on the table.

"So, Mr. Gardner, have you understand what we're all about?" the captain opened.

"We're out to do some alien ass-kicking, sir."

The captain chuckled. "Yes, that is but *one* thing we do. The organization's mission is much much greater than that. You've been recruited really fast, so I gather you might not yet know who you're joining."

The XO continued where the captain left. "Mr. Gardner, we are Cerberus. Perhaps you have heard of us."

Cerberus. The name rang a bell... wait, wasn't it the terrorist organization? My God! What have I gotten into this time?

"I can see from your face that this revelation is greatly troubling you, Mr. Gardner," the XO continued. "You might have heard all the slanders the Alliance said about us. But honestly. You have seen the douchebags staffing the Alliance back there at Demeter. Do you think they're the one who's going to act when humanity's in danger?"

His words was a slap to my face. They stunned me.

"Our mission, Mr. Gardner, is simple: To ensure humanity's survival, to ensure that humanity will not be looked down by other races, and to ensure our place among the stars. If to achieve those objectives we must bring other races to submission, then so be it. But as long as Cerberus still alive, no alien race shall bully us and get away with it," the captain added, firm conviction in his voice.

I nodded. I don't know what to say. All this time, I had thought of Cerberus as... well, just a bunch of trigger-happy paramilitary xenophobic group. But after the events of the past few days at Demeter...

"Seeing the truth when one has been blinded by propaganda for so long is always tough, Mr. Gardner," Rahardjo said as he tapped my shoulder. "Rest assured, you've chosen the right side."

"Why don't you take some time to think things over, Mr. Gardner," said MacLeod. "Feel free to talk with us if you have more questions. We'll be on the bridge. Well, at least one of us. Except during nightwatch, perhaps."

"Yes. Although perhaps you'll still find MacLeod on the bridge. He has a severe case of walking-and-commanding-in-his-sleep," the captain jested, eliciting a laugh from both me and MacLeod.

"Well, then, captain, commander, if I may excuse myself..." I said, still rather unsure of all this rank stuff and formalities.

Captain Rahardjo laughed again, and said. "Of course, Gardner. See you later. And again: no need of rigid formalities. We are all friends here; brothers in arms fighting for the same cause."

I nodded, and left for my quarters.

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**A/N:** There you have it. Gardner taking the figurative baby steps into Cerberus. If you think Gardner's recruitment seemed a bit... rushed, well, that's Cerberus for you. Full of action, and wasting no time ;)

As usual, tell me what you think! Be it a praise, a criticism, or a combination of both... fire away!

See you in the next — and final — chapter! :)

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	4. Finale — Presto

**A/N: Annnnnddddd, finally the story wraps up.**

**Without much ado: read _*and* _review, people! :D**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect, the Mass Effect universe, and all characters within, all belong to BioWare.**

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**Gardner's Sonata  
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**IV. Finale: Presto  
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The jaunt to Hades Nexus was nice. Not as luxurious as my earlier trip to Demeter, but in a way, much nicer.

When I was cruising to Demeter, I was a lost man. I did my activities just to deaden the pain and loss and grief I had in my soul. But in this trip, I have a sense of mission. I have an expectancy. For the first time since the attack at Gei Hinnom, I felt... alive.

The crews of the ship were all friendly to me. In varying degrees and kinds of friendliness, of course. There's the friendly-as-you-can-be captain Rahardjo, the strict-but-friendly XO MacLeod, the friendly-but-introverted Mouse (real name Timothy Kojima, but he asked me to call him Mouse) who apparently was my 'galley assistant', the harsh-but-friendly-in-a-way Tigress (she never told me what her real name was) the leader of the commandoes on-board, and many others.

I learnt that we were part of a cell, the Hannibal Cell. Our purpose was to do retaliatory attacks against pirates and aliens — with the nice side-benefit of taking over their assets, their loots, and sometimes, their operations. But we're no mere privateers; many times such an attack surrendered important stuffs, such as intel info, new weapons, interesting technologies, and so forth. These stuffs will then be handed over to other cells to be utilized effectively.

I don't really care about those doodads. All my mind was set for, at the moment, was to put in a whole thermal clip's worth of ammo into the heads of the batarians who took away my family from me.

After some mass relay hopping and FTL cruise, finally we reached the Hades Nexus system. Along the way, we were joined by a couple of frigates, and — swear to God — a carrier. Yeah, a carrier, for pete's sake. That was an enlightening moment; I then fully realized that Cerberus is no bootstrapping organization, but a professional, massively funded one.

The battle itself, I can't tell you much about that, since I was neither a fighter pilot nor part of the commando team. But it was swift, and within hours we totally overran their base. I was minding my business when the captain hailed me via comms, asking me to join him in the airlock.

We walked together into the taken over base, then through some labyrinthine corridors, until we reached the command room. I assumed it was the command room, seeing all the terminals and cluster maps in that room. In the middle of the room were 4 batarians in handcuffs, their mouths gagged with duct tape.

Captain Rahardjo pushed the leftmost batarian forward. He stumbled and fell down on his knees right in front of me. The captain curtly said, "This is the leader of the raider party that wiped Gei Hinnom."

My anger boiled. I whipped up my pistol and pushed the muzzle against the side of the batarian's head. "You took away my family from me! Now you're going to pay the price!"

Just before I unlock the safety of my pistol, Captain Rahardjo rested his hand on mine.

"Gardner, I know how you feel. I've lost a loved one myself to the aliens. But think first: Would you prefer a quick, merciful death for him, or would you prefer he lives but endure the punishment for the rest of his life for his crimes."

"Whaddaya mean, captain? Putting him into jail? This sonofabitch deserves to die!" I shouted, unlocking the safety, and prepared to fire.

"No. Cerberus has plans for him. He will be our test subject. We will not let him jaywalk free. He'll be wishing for his death, for the rest of his life."

My conviction wavered. If I shoot that goddamn batarian, then I'll have my satisfaction. But God knows how many other families he's ruined. If I let him live, then he will serve a better purpose. I lowered my pistol, and re-engaged the safety.

"Wise decision, Gardner. I'll make sure you receive a commendation for putting Cerberus interest above your personal need for vengeance," Rahardjo said, tapping my shoulder. "Commandoes! Take them to the brig, and proceed with delivery."

"Aye aye, sir!" the commandoes replied in unison, as they dragged the batarians to God knows where.

I had expected to not experience any satisfaction. To my surprise, I felt very satisfied. That goddamn batarian will now be paying my loss for the rest of his miserable life.

And I started to cry. At first, just one or two drops of tear peeked through the corners of my eyes. But soon, the drops were joined and turned into a torrent as I felt release, a sense of fulfillment.

_Giselle. Joanna. Your husband, your dad, has avenged you both._

I felt someone hugging me, and gently guided me back to my ship. I was led into the crew's quarters, and left alone.

After some time, I finally regained composure, and walked to the bridge. I wanted to thank Captain Rahardjo for the chance he'd given me to have some closure. As it happened, I met the captain and the XO in the corridor.

"Ah, Mr. Gardner. What a nice coincidence. We happen to be wanting to talk with you. Let's go to the conf room."

We entered the conference room, all three of us. The XO closed the door behind me and locked it.

"I want to thank you, captain, for giving me the chance to confront the one who took away my family."

The captain just nodded, then said, "The least I can do. I *do* appreciate your decision to not execute the batarian. I hope you did find your closure, though."

"I did, sir," I nodded.

"Good. I am glad you did," the captain nodded. "Now, Mr. Gardner, you have seen what Cerberus is capable of doing. Would you join us as an active operative, or would you prefer to go back to Gei Hinnom, waiting for us to call you again when we need your skills?"

I mulled the question over in my mind, while the captain and the XO waited patiently. I had thought of returning to Gei Hinnom after I got my closure. But then again, there was nothing left there for me at Gei Hinnom, except a job and sad memories.

Those, and the realization that despite what others have called it, Cerberus may be the only organization that truly stands for humanity. And gets the job done. And I want to be a part of it. To stand for humanity.

"It will be a great honor for me to join Cerberus, sir."

The captain's and the XO's faces lighted up with gladness. "Welcome to Cerberus, then, Gardner." They stood up and took turns to shake my hand.

"But I may need to take care of loose ends first."

"Oh?" MacLeod looked at me quizically. "Like what?"

"Well, I have to submit a resignation letter, and there are personal stuffs to tidy up."

"Ah, don't worry about them," MacLeod replied. "Jake, your boss, will take care of them."

"Jake?"

"He's our sleeper agent," Rahardjo piped up. "Well, we have to go back to the bridge, Mr. MacLeod. And I believe Mr. Gardner here must prepare a celebratory dinner. I suggest we wrap up this meeting."

We left the conference room and walked together, just having some general chat. At the next intersection, we split up. I have to go left to the galley, and the captain and the XO must enter the bridge.

Just before the blast door to the bridge closed, MacLeod remarked, "Oh, I almost forgot. Thomas DeMarco wished you good luck with your new life in uniforms."

I looked at him quite surprised. MacLeod just winked before the blast door closed.

_Damn. This is the major league, and I'm part of it!_

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"Amazing story, Gardner. Amazing story," Shepard said as Gardner ended his story.

"And it's true. I swear to God, cross my heart," Gardner replied, his right index finger making a cross gesture over his heart. "That is why I told you before, c'mander, I'm damn proud to be with Cerberus. They get the job done."

Shepard just stirred his coffee — or what's left of it — absent-mindedly.

"_'_nother cup, c'mander?"

Shepard shook his head. "No, thank you. Truly delicious cookies, by the way," said the commander, lifting his head, a smile across his face.

"Glad you like it. Now if you may excuse me, c'mander, I've gotta start my facilities maintenance check. Or I might not have enough time to wash my hands before preparing the crew's meal," Gardner said with a wink

Shepard laughed. "Okay. Don't let me take too much of your time. Thanks for the story. Apologies if I've disturbed your work."

"Aw, no worries, c'mander. For what it's worth, *I*'m the one who should be thankful that a CO is willing to sit out and listen to an ol' handyman's tale. Well, see you later then, c'mander."

Shepard nodded and left. After the commander entered the elevator, Gardner glanced at the cookies crumbs on the plate, and smiled. It's apparent that the commander liked the chocolate chip cookie recipe of Giselle.

_One day. One fine day, Giselle. And we'll be eating your cookies again, together with Joanna. But that would have to wait until my job here is done. Wait for me there, my loved ones. We will have eternity to spend our time together._

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**~ FIN ~**

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**Author's Ending Note:**

There. Gardner's backstory. I hope I've given him a just treatment.

If you like this story, I'm sure you'll also going to like my other story: _**Explanations and Excuses**_ (story ID 6313361)

Now, some explanations:

● This story was originally planned as a one-shot. But in the 1st draft I noticed that the word count already surpassed 6000 words, so I decided to just split the story into several chapters for easier reading.

● That also explains how I am able to put up a chapter each day, because that 1st draft was almost complete. So, no promises that I may be as prolific with my other stories.

● I do remember that I still have another story, "Explanations and Excuses". I just need to get this particular out of my system, is all.

● Gei Hinnom is an actual place in-game.

● Gardner never told us where came from in-game. He only said that he had been an eezo miner, and a family guy.

● The game also doesn't explain where the homebase of the batarian raiders is. Since they're raiders, I guess they should be in the same cluster.

● Demeter is a known, developed Alliance world.

● The chapter titles are 'movements' of Frédéric Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B_b_ Minor. Truth be told, I've never heard that sonata. But the description/analysis of each movement seems fitting for the chapters. So, there.

● The title itself just jumped out at me and I can't get it out of my head.

● Yes, Jake *and* Tom DeMarco are with Cerberus.

Writing this story has been a great fun for me. I never wrote in a first-person POV before, so this is a totally new experience. I tried to do my best, but I'm sure mistakes crept into my story here and there. I'd appreciate it if you point them out to me, for only by your kind reviews I can keep getting better.

As to the general tone of my stories... Well, I only want to explore a universe where there's no such thing as perfect good and perfect evil. BioWare provided that option, where we can grow our Shepard to be a combination of paragon and renegade. So why paint everything in stark black and white? It's the grayness that makes everything much much much more interesting.

In closing, please allow me to thank you for staying with me for the whole of this story. You guys/gals are wonderful! I do hope you don't tire of my stories, for I still have some of them yet to be written.

Until the next story, then :)

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